Legal Loophole Allows Anyone to Steal from Hudson Valley Barbers

An odd loophole has allowed people to get a haircut in the Hudson Valley and then walk out the door without paying.

It's hard to believe, but for all of these years we've been working on the honor system when it comes to getting our haircut in the Hudson Valley. After the barber holds up the mirror to let you check out the back of your head, you've been within your legal right to stand up and just walk right out of the door without spending a dime.

Under the New York penal code, there's been no language that says not paying for services like haircuts is a crime. Essentially, New York has had no law on the books to penalize anyone who decides not to pay.

Well, that all changed on Wednesday when Governor Cuomo announced that he passed legislation to finally close this strange loophole. The bill will essentially amend the law, closing the loophole and making it a crime to skip out on a haircut. The new law will make dashing out the door a class A misdemeanor, allowing businesses legal protection from people stealing their service.

Now, I'm not sure how big of a problem this has been. In fact, I've never heard of anyone ever leaving the barbershop without paying. But I guess giving businesses more protection is a good thing.

In a statement, Governor Cuomo said he passed the legislation because it "closes a nonsensical loophole that gives these businesses equal protection under the law once and for all."